Case Study

Brief description of the interventions

The restoration work carried out is part of a research project aimed at preserving modern animated books (produced between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 20th century) with the aim of increasing knowledge of these artefacts, which have not yet been studied, and of experimenting with restoration techniques and materials adapted to their conservation needs.

The main purpose of the intervention was to re-functionalise the animation mechanisms, aiming at recovering all the elements present. This required an in-depth study of the materials and the functioning of the system of each animated figure as well as a thorough research on the materials to be used for the intervention.

The work, lined with a canvas, had perimeter strips of linen canvas that were removed and replaced with new strips of polyester canvas, the frame was rectified and made suitable for containing the work in the frame. The paper support had tears and gaps that were integrated, operating from the back and from the front, accompanied by a timely consolidation of the pictorial film and watercolor reintegration.